1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical junction box mounted on an automobile.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 is a side view showing one example of wiring a wire harness, which is popular in the related art. In FIG. 1, reference 100 denotes an electrical junction box, while reference numeral 120 denotes an obstacle. In such a case, when wiring a wire harness W out of the electrical junction box 100, it is necessary to draw the wire harness W out of the box 100 so as to avoid interference with the obstacle 120, as show in the figure.
In detail, as shown in FIG. 13, the wire harness W is drawn from an upper part of the electrical junction box 100 horizontally or obliquely downward. Then, the wire harness W is wired while restricting its wiring route with the use of a clip 102 or a protector 104 and finally led to the underside of an obstacle 120.
However, the above wiring method requires a component for restricting the wiring route, such as the clip 102 or the protector 104, in addition to the electrical junction box 100. Additionally, a worker has to fix the wire harness W on a vehicle body by means of the clip 102, the protector 104 or the like. Thus, this wiring method is apt to be expensive in terms of a production (i.e. parts and working) cost.
FIG. 2 illustrates one countermeasure to remove these drawbacks. That is, a cover 110 is attached to one side of the electrical junction box 100, restricting the drawing route for the wire harness W forcibly. According to this countermeasure, it is possible to save the production cost since there is no need of both preparing such a component for restricting the wiring route and fixing the wire harness W on a vehicle body with the use of the component independently.
Japanese Patent Application (heisei) Laid-open No. 9-247823 proposes a concrete example of the above-mentioned countermeasure.
FIG. 3 shows one of electrical junction boxes disclosed in Japanese Patent Application (heisei) Laid-open No. 9-247823. In FIG. 3, an electrical junction box 200 includes a box body 201. The box body 201 is provided, on its exterior surface, with a wiring groove 202 extending in the vertical direction and a fitting part 203 continuing the wiring groove 202. In wiring the wire harness W, a slide cover 210 is engaged with the fitting part 203 upon arranging the wire harness W in the wiring groove 202. In this way, the wire harness W is led from the upper part of the box body 210 downwardly.
FIGS. 4 and 5 show another electrical junction box 300 disclosed in the above application. The electrical junction box 300 comprises a box body 301 and a waterproof cover 310 for closing a lateral opening 302 of the box body 301. The box body 301 is provided, beside the opening 302, with a fitting part 303 for receiving the cover 310 slidably. The waterproof cover 310 has an upper plate 311 and a tubular guide part 314 formed integrally with the upper plate 311. In wiring the wire harness W, the upper plate 311 of the waterproof cover 310 is inserted into the fitting part 303, while the wire harness W is accommodated in the tubular guide part 314 of the cover 310. In this way, through the cover 310, the wire harness W is led from the upper part of the box body 301 downwardly, as shown in FIG. 5.
In the electrical junction box 200 of FIG. 3, however, if fitting or mounting a wire harness W having a number of covered wires in a bundle into the wiring groove 202, there is a possibility that the wire harness W jumps out of the wiring groove 202 due to its property of rebound (i.e. elasticity), causing a fitting or mounting operation of the cover 210 to be troublesome.
In the electrical junction box 300 of FIGS. 4 and 5, similarly, if drawing a wire harness W out of the box body 301, a worker has to handle the wire harness W through the intermediary of the tubular guide part 314 of the waterproof cover 310, causing the wiring operation to be troublesome. Additionally, the disassembling operation of the box 300 is bothersome for the worker.